A Year to be Noticed
by Music in her Eyes
Summary: Ginny has always been in love with Harry. Harry has always ignored her. It’s inevitable. But what happens when Ginny gets tired of being ignored? Chaos ensues, that’s what happens!
1. In the Kitchen

Summary: Ginny has always been in love with Harry. Harry has always ignored her. It's inevitable. But what happens when Ginny gets tired of being ignored? Chaos ensues, that's what happens!!

_ You've heard of the Boy Who Lived. Everybody has. You can't help but hear about him. Or read about him. Or see slutty girls hanging all over him. I mean, come on!! Don't these girls have any decency? Hanging all over a guy just because he's famous and not because they actually like him. Who does that? I'm glad to say that I've never had to resort to that. I, Ginny Weasley, can attract the attention of any guy I want without having to hang all over him. Well, any guy except the Boy Who Lived. And one day, I resolved to change that._

Ginny Weasley sat at the kitchen table in the Burrow, her home. The homework McGonagall had given her class to do over summer break was far more complicated than any she had ever seen. This was to be expected, of course, because it was the year she was supposed to take OWLs. She sighed and pushed the books away. She should've known better than to try concentrating today since Harry would be there at any moment. Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived. With his constantly messy jet black hair, bright green eyes, and lean Qudditch player's body he was any girl's dream boy. Include the fact that he was the Wizarding world's hero and he became something like a god.

_ I wish that he would notice me just once, _Ginny sighed. Harry, being her brother Ron's best friend, thought of her as a silly little girl with a crush. She hadn't helped her situation any when she was younger. She had always been very shy and never talked when he was around. But she had changed over the years. No longer a shy little girl, Ginny was now a strong, confident, charismatic young woman. With her long, fiery hair, deep sapphire blue eyes, and a figure most girls would kill for, she had no trouble attracting almost any guy that she wanted. Except for one.

"Why doesn't he ever notice me?" Ginny thought aloud.

" Why doesn't who notice you? I haven't noticed you having any problems with getting guys to notice you," Ron commented as he entered the kitchen. "And, quite frankly, that disturbs me."

"I've told you that's none of your business. Now butt out," Ginny retorted sharply. Her brother could be so thick sometimes. "What do you want?"

"Is Harry here yet?" Ron asked, wisely changing the subject. He knew that his sister could cast a really good Bat Bogey Hex when she was in a mood like this. _Maybe he's not as thick as he looks, _Ginny thought in amazement. _Maybe it's all just an act to confuse us so that it will be easier for him to take over the world. _Ginny watched at her brother as he absentmindedly flipped through her books.

"This stuff looks really complicated. I don't think I could ever do anything like this," he said sadly._Or maybe he really is just stupid, _she thought sadly. Out loud she said,

"No, Harry's not here. I thought you'd be able to figure that out just by looking. Will you go away now?"

"Fine. Just call me when he gets here.We're supposed to start training for Quidditch when he gets here."

" Whatever." Ginny rolled her eyes as he left the kitchen. She had a feeling that the only thing that would get her through the rest of the summer would be Hermione. _Thank God for Hermione._

As Harry walked up the drive to the Burrow, he couldn't help but smile. This place felt more like home than Privet Drive ever would. With it's many additions held together by magic, the Burrow was the funniest looking building he had ever seen. But that didn't matter to him. All he cared about were the people on the inside. He had finally reached the door and the beginning of the rest of his summer. He raised his hand and knocked. When the door opened he couldn't believe his eyes.

Ginny Weasley was standing at the door wearing a pair of really short shorts and a low cut tank top. How had he never noticed that Ginny was no longer a little girl? With the curves to prove it. He gaped at her without realizing it and was brought out of his trance by Ginny's voice.

"Oi! I'd appreciate it if you'd stop staring at my breasts. They're not for sale, you know."

"Sorry!" Harry exclaimed as he turned away. He could feel himself flushing profusely. "I didn't mean to. Honest!"

"Yeah, sure. Because you have no control over your eyes whatsoever," Ginny replied sarcastically before promptly turning around and bellowing, "RON!! Harry's here!" She turned back to Harry and said in an overly sweet voice, "See ya around, perv."

As Harry watched Ginny retreat up the stairs, he shook his head in disbelief. _What happened, _he thought,_ to the girl who wouldn't even talk if I was in the room? Because that definitely wasn't her_. Harry was so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't even notice Ron come running down the stairs.

"There you are!" Ron exclaimed. "What took you so long? We need to get out to the pitch ASAP if we're gonna keep our places on the team. Harry? Are you even listening to me?" Ron waved his hand in front of Harry's face. Harry seemed startled when he looked at Ron.

"Hey mate," Harry said, sounding somewhat confused, " when did you get down here?"

"I've been down here talking to you for a while, mate," Ron said slowly. "Didn't you hear me?"

"No. I didn't"

"Are you okay? You look like just saw a Crumple Horned Snorkack or whatever it is Luna's always going on about."

"No, I'm fine. What do you say we hit the pitch and get some practice time in before lunch?"

"Okay," Ron said enthusiastically, though still somewhat confused by his friend's odd behavior. "Let's take your stuff up to my room and then we'll head out."

"Sounds good!"

_Oh my gosh! _Ginny thought when she finally reached the privacy of her room. _He was staring at my boobs! What does that mean? Where's Hermione when you need her? _Ginny threw herself on her bed in frustration. She couldn't help but laugh at the expression on Harry's face when he saw her in her somewhat skanky pajamas. It was pricless. But she didn't want Harry noticing her because of the way she looked. She knew that was a factor but she didn't want it to be the main reason. She got up off of her bed and began to pace in agitation. Why did things always go wrong between her and Harry? Why did he hang out with her at the Burrow and not at Hogwarts? Would he ever realize that she was still in love with him and couldn't live without him? In an instant, and idea hit Ginny with such force that she actually stopped pacing and stared at the wall in amazement. _Of course! I'll force him to see the real me and then I'll make him fall in love with me._ The simplicity of the plan made Ginny wonder why she hadn't thought of it sooner. Ginny was so deep in thought that she jumped a foot off the ground when she heard a voice ask,

"Am I interrupting something?"

"Hermione!" Ginny exclaimed. "We need to talk. Immediately!"


	2. Brains and Cunning

Hermione stared at Ginny with a dumbfounded expression on her face.

"You're gonna make him fall in love with you? How do you plan to do that?"

Ginny sighed in exasperation. She had already told Hermione about her revelation, but her friend didn't quite seem to grasp the concept. _She might be a genius but when it comes to guys she's completely clueless._

"If you'd just be quiet for a few minutes, I might be able to tell you. So, my plan is to let him get to know me over the summer because the only person he knows me as is Ron's annoying little sister who used to have a huge crush on him. If I let him get to know me as Ginny, mature, adult woman who's interested in a serious relationship with him, he'll probably learn that there's a lot more to me than just Ron's little sister. As the summer progresses, he'll see that I'm a brilliant Quidditch player, a pretty good student, a fun person to hang out with, and a girl that could rock his world if he'd just let me. And then when school starts, I'll just do my normal school stuff."

"And you doing normal school stuff will help how?"

"Well, when we get back to school and I start having less time for him he won't like it because he'll be used to having me around to hang out with. So, he'll start missing me and then realize that it's more than just missing me as Ron's little sister. He'll miss me as Ginny, the girl he's in love with. It's simple. And brilliant! What do you think?"

Ginny looked at Hermione hopefully. After a long pause where she seemed to be deep in thought, Hermione slowly offered a reply that was obviously somewhat hesitant.

"I don't think that it will be quite as simple as that. What if there are things about him that you haven't noticed? Things that get on your nerves. Things that you just wouldn't be able to live with. Say he falls in love with you and then you realize you don't like him near as much as you thought you did and you break his heart. What happens then? You're still going to see each other because Harry and your brother are best friends. Wouldn't that be weird? Or awkward? There are just so many ways that this could go wrong. What happens if you don't get him to fall in love with you and he breaks your heart? Ron would slaughter him and you know it. That would be ruining a friendship that has already been through a lot. Could you live with that? I don't mean to crush your dreams or anything like that, just think about what I've said before you go through with your plan. Okay?"

Ginny had been quiet throughout Hermione's entire monologue, and now she appeared to be lost in thought and didn't answer for a few minutes. She was quiet so long, that Hermione became concerned. Just as she was about to say something, Ginny looked up and made a bold proclamation.

"I've thought about it and I don't care. I love Harry. I've been watching him since my first year and I love everything about him. The way his hair never looked like its combed, the beautiful green eyes that have depths unimaginable to most people, his natural ability on a broom, the way he walks, the way he talks, the way he runs his fingers through his hair when he's frustrated and makes it even messier. Everything. And I'd do anything to make him realize that. I have to at least try. If he still doesn't love me by the end of the year, then I'll give up. But this year is my year to be noticed."

"Okay. But don't say I didn't warn you."

All through his training session with Ron, Harry couldn't keep his mind off of a certain redhead still back at the Burrow. The one question he kept asking himself was 'How could I not notice her growing up?'

"Harry! Watch out!"

Harry turned in time to see a Bludger speeding straight at his head. He performed a quick, precise roll just in time to keep the projectile from crushing his skull.

"What's up with you, Harry? That's the fifth time you've almost been hit by a Bludger. And you've already been hit three times. You're not yourself. Either tell me what's wrong or go inside because I'm tired of yelling at you."

Harry looked at Ron's concerned face and almost gave in and told him all about the events that had happened in the kitchen before he arrived. Then he thought about all the times Ron had almost killed a bloke who looked at his sister wrong and thought better of it.

"There's nothing up with me," Harry replied without looking Ron straight in the eye. "Let's go inside anyway. I'm starving!"

"Fine. We'll eat. And then you'll tell me what's going on with you. I may not be the smartest wizard in our year, but I'm not completely thick."

Ron zoomed off towards the Burrow leaving a nervous Harry trailing in his wake. When Ron really wanted to know something, he'd just keep bugging you until you gave in and told him what he wanted to know. Harry remembered how much Ron had bugged Hermione in their fourth year when she wouldn't tell them who she was going to the Yule Ball with. He didn't think he could handle that much questioning. So, with much trepidation, Harry followed Ron to the Burrow and his impending doom.

When Harry and Ron arrived in the kitchen, it was to find Ginny and Hermione chatting animatedly with Mrs. Weasley, who was making several dozen sandwiches for lunch.

"Harry, dear!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed when the boys walked in. "Ginny told me you were here but I haven't seen you until now. I take it you boys were out practicing?"

"Yes, ma'am," Harry said as Mrs. Weasley engulfed him in a rib crushing hug. "It's good to see you again. How's Mr. Weasley?"

"He's fine. He's very busy at work now that the Ministry has finally pulled their heads out of their arses. Are you boys hungry? There are plenty of sandwiches here so just eat as many as you want. I've always said that those Muggles underfeed you. We need to put some meat on your bones."

"Yes, ma'am," Harry said through a mouthful of sandwich. He definitely wasn't going to complain about Mrs. Weasley's wonderful cooking.

"So, Harry," Ginny said as Mrs. Weasley bustled out of the kitchen, "how did the Muggles treat you?"

Harry released the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. _I thought she was gonna start talking about this morning in the kitchen. I still have no idea what happened this morning in the kitchen._

"Oh, you know, the usual," he said aloud. "I showed up, they yelled at me a little because Hedwig wouldn't shut up, and then I got the silent treatment until Lupin came to get me to bring me here. Actually, it was a bit better than usual. I only had to deal with them at mealtime. How has your summer been? Nervous about the OWLs yet?"

"A little, but right now I don't really want to think about it. I'm just going to have fun." Ginny replied with a devilish gleam in her eye. _He won't know what hit him, _she thought with glee. _This is gonna be the best summer ever._

Harry noticed the devilish gleam in Ginny's eyes and felt just a little bit nervous. What was making Ginny so happily evil? This didn't bode well for the boys. With Hermione's brains and Ginny's cunning, he could see quite a few pranks heading his and Ron's direction. _I definitely need to talk to Ron about that. Maybe we could plan a few of our own, _he thought. It was definitely going to be an interesting summer.

A/N: Sorry about the wait. I think there might have been some problems on the site or with my computer. I hope you guys liked the chapter. I'm still not sure exactly where this is going to go. I have a few ideas, but we'll just have to see. If there's anything you want to happen, just let me know and I'll try to work it in. Review please! I really like reviews. They make my day!


	3. Booby Traps and Makeovers

_Why isn't this working?_ Ginny asked herself in a forlorn manner. _Harry's been here for almost a month and all we've done is talk every now and then. He and Ron seem to always be upstairs in Ron's room or outside playing Quidditch. What am I doing wrong?_ Ginny sighed agitatedly. A thought suddenly struck her. Maybe the boys were planning something. That wouldn't surprise her. _Well, Hermione and me will just have to plan a counterattack. It'll be great seeing their faces when we don't run screaming but stand and fight back. I wonder what we could do? Must talk to 'Mione._ And with that, Ginny ran off to find Hermione. She found her upstairs and wasn't surprised when she saw that she was doing homework. Or so she thought.

When Ginny walked in, Hermione immediately looked up and an out of character grin spread across her face. It looked much like Ginny's grin when she was planning a prank. Mischievous was the only word for it.

"We need to talk, Gin," Hermione said, laughing at the surprised look on Ginny's face. "Don't look at me like that. The boys are planning something and we both know it. They spend hours up in Ron's room poring over books, doing 'homework'. Yeah, right. As if. Those boys never do their homework until the last week of break. They're up to something and I want to know what. Are you going to help me?"

"Of course I'm going to help you. What the hell do you think I came up here for? To paint my nails? No way! Although I do have to say that we need to have a girl's night soon and sit up doing stuff like that. We haven't done that in ages."

"I agree, but we'll talk about that later. Right now, we need to plan something to get the guys with. Any ideas? I have a few but I want to hear yours first because you're a lot better at this than I am. More experienced."

Ginny sat absorbed in thought for nearly ten minutes. Hermione was about to break the silence when Ginny suddenly brightened and exclaimed, "I've got it! But first I have to know how far you're willing to go and how much you're willing to do. This can only work if you're willing to give 100 percent of your time and energy."

Hermione looked at Ginny nervously. "We won't be doing anything illegal will we? I don't know if I could handle that." Ginny smiled at her friend. Always following the rules. That was Hermione.

"Of course not, silly. We'll definitely be naughty but it won't be anything too bad. So, the plan is really simple and straightforward. All you have to do is let me pick out your clothes, style your hair, and do your make up. It won't hurt. I promise."

"How does you giving me a makeover have anything to do with this conversation? I thought we were planning a trick to play on the boys," Hermione said in a confused voice.

"Everything," Ginny said with a mischievous smile. "You see, what we're gonna do is distract the boys to the point where they aren't really focusing on their prank. Then, we pull ours on them."

"And what exactly is ours?"

"We booby trap the entire house! We'll tell Mum and Dad so that they'll know not to mess with anything we've booby trapped until after the boys have set all of them off. And we'll take pictures to show everyone at Hogwarts when we go back. What do you think?"

"It's brilliant! Now, when do you think we'll be able to pull this off by?"

"Hopefully two weeks from now. It all depends on how long it takes to distract them. First, we'll need to think of things to booby trap. Any ideas? I was thinking maybe we could start with the classic bucket over the door trick. The buckets will be filled with chocolate syrup. Then, when they go to the bathroom, we'll have a string attached to the door knob and the door closed. When they open the door, the string will start a fan blowing feathers at them. I know, it's not exactly original, but the classics are a good way to start off. What should we do after that?"

"I have a pretty good idea. But we have plenty of time to plan that. We need to get started on my makeover now! It might take awhile."

"You've got that right," Ginny said jokingly.

"Hey!" Hermione said, pretending to be insulted. "You're not supposed to agree. At least not that quickly. I can't help it that I'm completely lacking in style sense. I wasn't born with your gift."

"I know. Now let's get started. Time's a-wasting."

"They're up to something," Harry said to Ron as they heard the girls' laughter from down the hall. "I really think we should go through with our prank as soon as possible. I want to get them before they get us. Do you think tomorrow would be a good day?"

"I don't know. We don't really have it fine tuned yet. Booby trapping a house isn't very easy. It's all fine and dandy to have the idea and concept but unless we're sure that the plan will go off without a hitch, I don't think we should do it."

Harry contemplated what his friend said for a few minutes. It was really weird when Ron said something that smart. _Well, he probably has a lot of experience with pranks. Definitely more than I do. Especially in a family like this one. Fred and George probably weren't easy to live with. And it would be quite embarrassing if the prank failed. I don't know if I could stand Hermione's gloating._

"Yeah, I guess you're right. We should test our stuff first so that it goes off perfectly," Harry conceded grumpily. He was really ready to get the girls good.

"It's settled then," Ron announced happily. He wasn't right very often so when he was he tended to get a bit annoying. "I'd say we'll be ready in about two weeks. Possibly more if we have any problems."

"Okay," Harry sighed. "We should probably get to fine tuning it then." _This is definitely going to be an interesting two weeks._

"All done!" Ginny exclaimed a few hours later. "And I have to say very well done. You look hot, Hermione. Go look in the mirror."

Hermione advanced toward the mirror hesitantly. She was almost afraid to see what she looked like. Ginny had taken such a long time and she wasn't quite comfortable with the fact that her midriff was showing. _Here goes nothing,_ she thought as she stepped up to the mirror. The sight that greeted her eyes was so surprising that she couldn't stop a gasp from escaping her lips.

" Oh my gosh!" was the only thing Hermione was capable of saying. Instead of being bushy, Ginny had tamed her hair into loosely flowing curls that stopped about halfway to her waist. Her wide brown eyes were accented by a shimmery purple shadow and were made to look even larger by a thin line of eyeliner and long, thick lashes that curled prettily. Her lips had been glossed with light pink and somehow looked much fuller than normal. Her complexion was completely flawless except for a few freckles showing through on her nose and a light blush had been applied following the natural line of her high cheekbones. But what amazed her the most was her figure. Low riding jeans clung snugly to her hips. A lacy white top accentuated her bust, which was neither too large nor too small, and showed a modest amount of cleavage. The entire outfit gave her a nice hourglass shape. Dangly earrings hung from her ear lobes, the locket her father gave her for her tenth birthday hung around her neck, and bangles clinked gently at her wrists. She didn't even look like herself. And she loved it. Hermione turned to Ginny and wrapped her in a bone-crushing hug.

"This just might work, chica," she said.

"Yes, it just might. And stop crying. It took a lot of time to get your make up like that. We still have to go see the guys before you wipe it all off."

"What? And destroy your masterpiece? I don't think so."

"Good."

"Allons-y, mon amie," Hermione said laughingly, "we have deux mignon garcons awaiting us."

A/N: Sorry about the long wait for chapter 3. I had ten million things to do what with graduation and everything like that. I haven't gotten too many reviews on my story so far and I would like it if I could get a few more. I don't care if it's praise of criticism. Just let me know what I can do to make things better. The couple of chapters will probably consist of interactions between the guys and girls so we won't be getting to the pranks just yet. I know it's been a bit fluffy so far, but things will get more serious and probably within the next five chapters. Also, if you have any suggestions for booby traps that I can put in upcoming chapters they would be much appreciated. Now go review!


	4. Party in the Village

Ginny and Hermione found the boys sitting in the kitchen, eating as usual. When the boys looked up, they could hardly comprehend what they were seeing.

"Hermione?" Ron croaked as he took in the sight of the beautiful goddess who stood before him. "Is that really you?"

"Of course it is," Hermione said scathingly. "Who the hell else would it be?"

_That's not the Hermione that I know,_ Ron thought, _but I like her like this. Confidence really suits her. As does that shirt. _Ron was broken out of his reverie by the sound of Ginny's voice.

"Yeah, Hermione and I were thinking about going to that party tonight in the village. You guys should come with. It'll be a lot of fun."

"We'll definitely be going," Ron said without hesitation. "I was actually thinking about going, too."

"You were?" Harry asked, confused.

"Yes," Ron said pointedly, "I was."

"Great!" Ginny exclaimed. "Will you guys be ready to leave by 7:30?"

"Of course," Ron replied. "Will you? No offense or anything but you take a long time to get ready, Gin."

"Don't worry," Hermione told Ron, smiling coyly. "We'll be ready." And with that, the girls left the kitchen, leaving Harry and Ron to stare after them. After a few minutes, the boys looked at each other and silently asked each other the same question: "What have we got ourselves into now?"

At precisely 7:30 that evening, the girls descended the stairs to find the boys ready and waiting. Both girls looked absolutely beautiful. Ginny was wearing a deep blue, halter top dress that exactly matched the color of her eyes. The bodice clung to her body like a second skin until it reached her hips. From there it flowed gracefully down to end just below her knees. All over the dress were small rhinestones that glittered like stars caught in a twilight sky.

While Ginny looked like a goddes of the night, Hermione looked the exact opposite. Her dress was a pale gold that had a pink irridescent shimmer which brought to mind the very first rays of light seen during an early morning sunrise. The bodice of her dress was a little bit looser and the hem line a little bit longer but no less stunning.

The boys continued to stare at the girls as they descnded the last few steps. When did these two girls, who usually bugged them, turn into beautiful goddesses worthy of worship? _We're going to be the luckiest guys at the party, _Harry thought as the silence lengthened. Ginny broke the silence with a laugh.

"Put your tongue back in your mouth." Ron's jaw clicked audibly as he heeded his sister's advice and closed his mouth.

"You look beautiful, Hermione,"Ron said as he executed a courtly bow and extended his hand. "May I have the honor of being you escort tonight?"

"Yes, you may," Hermione said, placing her hand in his and curtsying, flushing slightly.

"You look beautiful, too," Harry said to Ginny as she watched the scene before them with what looked like a satisfied expression on her face.

"You don't look so bad yourself, Mr. Potter," Ginny replied as she gave him an appreciative once over. _What an understatement, _Ginny thought. _If Ron and Hermione weren't here right now, I'd probably jump his bones and kiss him senseless. _Indeed, both boys were looking better than their usual scruffy selves. Ron was wearing a pair of khaki slacks and a light blue, button-up shirt that set off his eyes, a dark blue similar to Ginny's, and the suntan he had managed to acquire over the summer. Harry was wearing a pair of black slacks and a deep red, button-up shirt that made his messy black hair seem darker and his bright green eyes pop. Eyes that were usually hidden by glasses. . .

"Harry!" Ginny exclaimed. "You're not wearing your glasses!"

A slow smile appeared on Harry's face as he whispered to Ginny, "Something you might have noticed sooner if you hadn't been appraising every inch of my body instead of looking me in the eyes, you perv." Ginny flushed slightly while Harry said to the room in general, "Yeah. I got contacts before I left Privet Drive. They're much more convenient than glasses. No worrying about them getting broken or anything. I like them a lot."

"Yeah," Ginny said, still slightly flushed, "you look great."

Ron rolled his eyes. "Okay. If you two are ready, can we go now?"

"Yeah," Harry said, smiling at Ginny. "Let's go."

The four teens walked out the kitchen door and headed down the road that led to the village. In the west, the sun was setting gloriously. Soon it would be dark and the party in the village would be lighting up the sky with the fireworks that were scheduled to happen.

When they finally reached the village, the party in the main square was in full swing. Lights flashed, music pounded, people chattered, and the smell of food floated gently on the breeze. The four friends immediately joined in the dancing. They all danced in a group, mingling with the other teens from the village. And the whole time, Harry and Ron couldn't take their eyes off of Ginny and Hermione. Unfortunately, neither could two other boys. They were locals and had reputations for being bullies. Their names were Thomas and Johnathan, Tommy and Johnny for short. Tommy, short and skinny, was the brains of the operation. Johnny,at 6 and 1/2 feet, was the brawn. Tommy had always nursed a soft spot for Ginny and seeing her now looking at the black-haired boy as if he were the only thing in the world made him angry as hell.

"Do you see that, Johnny?" Tommy said. "After all she said about being in love with someone else, that little Weasley slut is hanging all over some strange guy we've never seen before!"

"Yeah. And who's that girl who's with her good-for-nothin' brother? Surely she can do better than him. Take me, for example."

"Right you are, Johnny. Let's show them what a good time is really like." And with that, they headed over to where the Weasley's were dancing with their guests.

"Hey, Weasley!" Johnny bellowed, audible even above the music. The entire crowd went still and the DJ turned off the music so that the exchange could be heard better. "Who's your friend? Why don't you send her over here to me and I'll take real good care of her."

Ron colored instantly and Harry had to grab his arm to prevent him from rushing the guy who had at least six inches and 100 pounds on him.

"Leave it, Ron," Harry said loudly. "They're not worth it."

"Not worth it, huh?" Tommy replied. "I'd have to say that he's not worthy of her. And you're not worthy of Ginny. She belongs with someone who has class and charm. Someone like me. Even if she is a slut." Now it was Ginny's turn to grab Harry as he lunged toward the smaller teen, releasing Ron. Ron took the chance to launch his attack. He sprang forward as soon as Harry released him and landed a punch right in the middle of Johnny's face. He bellowed in pain and took a wild swing in Ron's direction. Ron evaded the attack easily enough but Harry, who was still trying to break free of Ginny's grip, noticed it coming a second too late. Stars popped behind Harry's eyelids as the blow connected with the side of his head. Ginny released him immediately and Harry took that opportunity and launched himself onto Tommy, who had been watching from a few feet away.

"You stupid bastard!" Harry yelled as he tackled Tommy. "Ginny's way too good for the likes of you. And she's not a slut!"

"Harry, don't!" Ginny yelled. "Stop it!" But she didn't really mean it. Tommy had been bothering her for years. She'd told him no so many times, but he seemed to think that she was just playing hard to get. It was actually quite nice watching Harry defend her. She watched Harry pummel Tommy for a few more minutes until her reverie was broken by Hermione's voice.

"Ron! Watch out!" Hermione yelled as Ron dodged yet another punch from the lumbering Johnny. Ron had managed to land quite a few more punches while evading most of his adversary's swings. But when Hermione yelled, his concentration broke for a moment. Long enough for Johnny to land a punch right in his mouth. Hermione screamed as she saw Ron's mouth start gushing blood. She rushed forward to help him, but he sprang up before she could reach him and landed a forceful punch right in Johnny's gut. When the taller boy doubled up from lack of air, Ron brought his knee up so that it connected squarely with the other boys nose. There was a sickening crunch and Johnny fell over, unconscious. The crowd cheered as Ron straightened and he gave a little wave, but he had eyes only for Hermione. She flung herself into his arms and hugged him with enough force that he was reminded of Hagrid. Then he remembered the blow that Harry had taken and heard scuffling off to his left.

"Harry!" he said and rushed off to see how his friend was doing.

Ginny stood watching as Harry pummeled Tommy. The smaller boy was putting up a pretty good fight, but he was no match for Harry. Harry wasn't very big, but he had a lean Quidditch player's body and the wiry strength that came from being a Seeker. With a quick left-handed jab followed by a powerful right-handed uppercut, Tommy was thrown off his feet. He landed on his back and didn't look likely to get up any time soon. Ron let out a whoop, ran over to his friend and slapped him on the back.

"Well done, mate! You really got him good."

"Me? What about you? That other bloke had a good six inches on you. _And_ probably about 100 pounds. What happened to your lip?"

"It's nothing. Mum can probably fix it in a trice. What about you? How's your head?"

"It's fine. I'll probably have a headache, but I'll manage."

"Excuse me," Ginny said pointedly, "but I don't think Mum'll take too kindly to you two getting into a fight. Actually, she's liable to kill both of you."

"Oh, yeah," Ron said sadly, the smile fading from his face. His mum would probably make him deal with his busted lip as punishment. She _had _told him many times that she didn't want him fighting, especially with Tommy and Johnny. But he had, and now he ahd to face the consequences. "Well, I guess we should get home and tell Mum. If we try to hide it, she'll just get even madder. Shall we?" Ron spoke as if he and Harry were headed to certain doom. _Maybe we are, _Harry thought apprehensively. Sighing in resignation, he took Ginny's hand and headed back up the road to the Burrow, leaving Ron and Hermione to follow quietly.

No one spoke the whole way to the Burrow. When they got into the yard, the boys released the girls' hands and let them go in first. By the time the boys had worked up the nerve to enter the kitchen, the girls were already in Ginny's room discussing the night's events. They were totally alone with Mrs. Weasley.

"Here goes nothing," Ron muttered as he and Harry walked throught the door.

"What on earth happened to you two?" Mrs. Weasley shouted as soon as she saw the boys. "I knew I shouldn't have let you go to that party! Every time you two go somewhere you always end up in a fight! So, what's your excuse this time?"

"It's a long story, Mum," Ron said quietly.

"Well, you'd better get to telling then!"

With a sigh, Ron obliged.

A/N: Sorry about the long wait. I didn't have internet all summer. Well, this chapter is mainly here to show that the attraction between the two couples is growing. It's also a way for Harry and Ron to do something heroic. Please review. I don't care if it's praise, criticism, or suggestions. Just review. I won't add the next chapter until I get at least five reviews. Keep reading!

**UPDATE!!!**

I was looking at my stats and it says that I've had 113 hits to this chapter but I've only gotten two reviews. I meant what I said about the five reviews before I update. If I don't get them soon, I won't continue this story. So what are you gonna do? REVIEW!!!!

**_UPDATE!!!! AGAIN!!!_**

Still no more updates. Today is September 5th. If I don't have at least 5 reviews by the 19th (that's right you have two weeks) I'll pull the plug on the story. Period. Now go REVIEW!!!

**_AND ANOTHER UPDATE!!_**

I did not recieve my five reviews but have decided to continue the story anyway. I am, however, seriously miffed at all of you readers. I'm begging you to review my next chapter. It should be coming to you soon.


	5. Laying the Traps

"I just had the most amazing idea for one of our pranks, Gin!" Hermione exclaimed. "It would require a bit of effort, but I think I could do it!"

"What is it?" Ginny asked curiously.

"I won't tell you until the night that we do it. When do you think that will be?"

"As best as I can tell, the day after tomorrow. Will you have it ready by then?"

"Yeah. I should. I can't wait. This is going to be absolutely amazing!"

"I know! Finally, I'll be able to get my revenge on Ron for all of the stuff he's pulled on me!"

"Indeed. So we need to tell your parents about what's going on. Hell, they might even applaud us. Your mum's still mad at them for getting in that fight the other night. This will be legendary! We should go into the village and get the supplies we need."

"Sounds good. Maybe that cute guy will be at the grocery store again!"

"Perhaps... One can only hope!"

* * *

Ron watched as Harry ran into the goal post on the Quidditch field in the backyard... Again... For the fifth time that day... 

"What's wrong with you, mate? You've been completely preoccupied all day. That's the fifth time you've run into the goal post! Either you tell me what's wrong or we go inside and do homework."

Harry looked at his friend and wondered what exactly he should say. How could he tell Ron that he'd been thinking about Ginny? Ron was well known for being majorly protective of his younger sister. As was Charlie... And Bill... And Percy... And Fred and George... How could he tell him that he dreamed about Ginny every night? He'd be pummeled before he could say another word! But he knew that Ron would never give up. Ron was as stubborn as a jackass. _What should I do? _Harry thought as he cast around desperately for a topic.

"It's nothing too serious," Harry said with a sudden inspiration. "Just worried about starting our NEWT classes. I wonder what they'll be like?"

"Ugh. I don't even want to think about that right now. Quidditch is my escape. Now focus!"

Harry happily did what Ron told him. _That was way easier than I thought it would be! But I still don't know how I'm gonna tell him about Ginny. Because she's becoming so much more important to me than I ever thought she would be._

* * *

"Can I talk to you, Mum?" 

"Of course you can, Ginny dear! You can always talk to me!"

"Ok. Well... Me and Hermione were thinking about, er... well... booby trapping the house... Just to get back at the boys for stuff they've done to us... And we were thinking about doing it tomorrow but we just kinda wanted to make sure it was ok with you before we went through with it cuz, you know, we don't really wanna get in trouble, so... What do you think?"

"What exactly do you mean by booby trap?"

"Well, you know, the classic bucket over the door, feathers sticking to the sticky substance that was in the bucket over the door, slippery stuff on the floor. Stuff like that. And Hermione has a special one but she won't tell me what it is. It's a surprise. So what do you think?" Ginny watched her mother nervously. If she didn't say that it was ok for them to do this then they couldn't do it. She definitely didn't want to make her mom mad.

"When were you planning on setting up the traps?" With an ecstatic cry, Ginny flung herself on her mother and wrapped her in a tight hug.

"You're amazing, Mum! You're the coolest mom a girl could ever hope for!"

"Could you say that again? I need to get it on tape so I can play it for you the next time you get mad at me and tell me I'm ruining your life!"

"Sorry. Teenage law strictly forbids it. I'm also going to have to ask you to not repeat anything I just said. It would ruin my reputation!"

"Fine, Ginny dear," Mrs. Weasley said with a laugh. "I wouldn't want to cause you any harm!"

"Thanks, Mum! You're definitely the greatest! So, me and Hermione were going to walk up to the village to get some supplies. Do you wanna come with?"

"That would be marvelous. Let me go get my purse and I'll meet you two in the garden."

"K." Ginny watched as her mom went to get her things. _I have the most amazing mom in the world! And my best friend is spending the summer with me! _And _I'm about to pull the best prank this family has ever seen! The world is so perfect right now! Except for the Harry situation. I'll have to rectify that soon. But right now it's time to prank some boys!

* * *

_

"We're almost done!" Hermione whispered excitedly. The two girls surveyed their work with pride. A bucket hung over the door of the bathroom and a packet of feathers was waiting to explode when the light turned on. As soon as one of the boys left the bathroom, the floor leading to Ron's room would become extremely slippery and they would slide straight through the door to land in a heap at the foot of Ron's bed. And the process would repeat for the other boy. It was brilliant! Except Ginny still didn't know what Hermione had in mind for the final trick. And frankly, she was curious!

"Ok, Hermione, you've kept your trick a secret for two days and I know you must be about ready to explode! Spill!"

"Fine. So what's gonna happen is--"

_Beep beep beep beep_

"Their alarm!" Ginny squealed

"Here goes nothing!" Hermione said with glee. "Now watch carefully."

A/N: Sorry I took so long with the update!! I've been so incredibly busy!! This chapter is mainly the couple of days leading up to the prank day. Nothing too overly exciting. Except the cliffie!! MUAHAHAHA!! As soon as I get some reviews, I'll be motivated to update! Five and I update!! Please! Whatever you want to say just say it. It won't hurt my feelings! Honest! Now go review!!


	6. Booby Trapped

_Beep beep beep beep._

Harry rolled over and turned off the alarm then threw a pillow at Ron.

"Oi! Wake up! We gotta get showers before the girls do or there won't be any hot water left!"

Ron rolled over and sleepily mumbled, "Yeah. Showers. Girls. Hot. Gotcha," before promptly falling back asleep. Harry shook his head and laughed at his friend. _He might not want a hot shower but I do! _

Harry rolled out of bed and opened the door. Just after he took his first step he noticed that there was a slippery surface on the floor and a thought flashed through his head. _The girls beat us to the punch! _Then he slid down the hall, yelling all the way, ran into the bathroom door, which swung open causing the bucket over the door to dump its contents on him. He then switched on the light to see what exactly it was that was covering him. A fraction of a second after he turned the light on, a bundle of feathers exploded and stuck to the sticky substance covering his body. Harry let out a strangled yell and then turned around to see Ron hurtling straight towards him. He plowed into Harry, and another bucket of the sticky substance, maple syrup, spilled all over Ron and another bundle of feathers exploded making the boys look like two rather large, molting birds.

Hermione and Ginny watched from the hall as their plan unfolded perfectly. Hermione then turned to the boys' room and placed a charm on their door.

"There. Whenever they try to leave the room, all of their clothes will disappear. Except for their boxers. They can go back in and put on more clothes but if they try to leave the room again their clothes will disappear again!" Hermione said with a satisfied smile. Ginny gaped at Hermione for a moment and then flung her arms around the other girl. Her friend was definitely the best witch of her year!

"That's the perfect end to our trick! How did you think of it?"

"I don't know. It just came to me!" The girls laughed again, attracting the attention of the boys. They glowered at the girls in a menacing way that knocked the smiles right off the girls' faces, and then charged, yelling at the top of their lungs. Frightened, the girls tried to run away but slipped on the slick floor and slid straight into the boys' room, followed swiftly by the boys. They all ended up in a heap in the floor of the boys' room. Amid much muttering and cursing, everyone managed to get to their feet. The boys turned on the girls and started yelling but were swiftly interrupted by a gasp from Hermione.

"Ginny!" she cried in dismay. "The spell doesn't just work on the boys! It works on anyone who enters the room!"

"It's ok, Hermione. Settle down. All you have to do is perform the counterspell and we'll be fine." Ginny said soothingly.

"But I didn't make a counterspell! I was just going to wait to do that after the prank was over!"

"You what?! Are you crazy?" The boys watched the girls argue, completely confused and unaware as to what the problem was.

"Excuse me," Ron interrupted, "but would you mind telling us what exactly is going on?"

"No, brother mine, I wouldn't mind telling you what's going on here," Ginny said mockingly. "In fact I'd be absolutely delighted. Genius here," she said, pointing at Hermione, "didn't come up with a counterspell and now we're all stuck here in this room until she does." Harry looked at Hermione suspiciously.

"Counterspell? What for? What is she talking about? What did you do?"

"Well, I might've cast a spell on the room so that anyone who went out would lose all of their clothes except for their underwear…." Hermione muttered sheepishly. "And now we're all stuck in here."

Ron gaped at Hermione. "But you're not supposed to do magic outside of school!" Hermione sighed gustily.

"You of all people should know about the loopholes in that law, Ronald. You're brothers did it often enough! The ministry doesn't know who did the magic! They just know that magic was performed! In wizarding households, the parents are expected to be the ones who enforce the rules." A look of comprehension dawned on Ron's face quickly followed by a look of horror.

"So we're stuck in here?!" Harry yelled frantically.

"Ummm… Yeah," Hermione admitted sheepishly.

"Are you sure that it'll work, Hermione?" Ron asked. "Maybe it won't," he said with a hopeful look on his face that quickly went away when Hermione glared at him.

"Of course it'll work! Do you honestly think that I'd use that spell today without testing it first?"

"Well, you never know!"

"It works! I can promise you that!" Hermione said heatedly. "Test it if you want!" she said when he continued to look skeptical.

"Fine! I will!" Ron yelled back. And with that he drew himself up and walked through the door. As he walked through, there was a flash of blue light and everyone turned their faces away from the door. When everyone looked at Ron again, he was standing in the hall in nothing but his Chudley Cannons boxers. Ron yelped and jumped back through the door. He quickly grabbed a shirt and pulled it over his head. But not before Hermione noticed how much Ron's body had changed since he joined the Quidditch team. Before, he had been scrawny and gawky. But now, after a year of training, he had put on lean muscle and attained a rather impressive six-pack. It wasn't until Ginny elbowed her in the side that she noticed she was still staring at Ron with her mouth slightly open. She quickly shifted her attention away from Ron and closed her mouth with a click. She could feel Ginny next to her, silently shaking with laughter. _I bet she would've done the same thing if it had been Harry who had gone through instead of Ron, _she thought huffily. Then an idea struck her.

"Hey, Harry. Why don't you go find Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and tell them that we're having some problems up here?"

"Are you serious?" Harry asked incredulously. "You want me to go out there and run around in nothing but my boxers?"

"Well, they don't know that anything is happening so I just thought that maybe they could help us out."

"Well… Why can't one of you girls go? It's your fault that this is happening!"

"Ummm… I'm not wearing a bra," Ginny said, turning a bright shade of red, "so it's probably not a good idea for me to go." Harry's jaw dropped and then he shook his head, trying to rid himself of the very appealing mental image of a naked Ginny. _She's my best mate's sister! She's completely off limits! Why am I thinking about her like this?! _

"Well, that's why Ginny can't go," Hermione said, still giggling slightly. "I'm not going to go because I'm going to work on a counterspell. I guess you and Ron can just figure out which one of the two of you will be going."

"Or maybe you both could go," Ginny suggested, winking at Hermione, "just so there's no fighting." Hermione blushed slightly, before mumbling something incoherent that was meant to be her consent. How did Ginny always know what she was trying to do? And how did she always manage to turn it back on her? She stuck her tongue out at Ginny when the boys weren't watching, and Ginny just gave her a sweet smile that would've fooled anyone but her.

"Ok. We'll both go," Ron finally said, putting and abrupt end to the silent conversation the girls were having. "But you two better look away!"

"Why would I want to look at you, you ugly git?" Ginny asked scathingly. "Stop flattering yourself." Ron turned his customary shade of purple and flipped his sister off. "Well, that wasn't very nice, Ronald. What will our darling mother think when she hears about you doing that?" Ginny asked in a syrupy sweet voice. Harry's shoulders shook in silent laughter. He silently urged his friend to accept defeat on this battle of wills because Ginny was in fine shape today and would most likely end up tearing Ron a new one. Fortunately for his friend, Ron simply glared at his sister for a moment and then turned back to the problem at hand when Hermione spoke.

"This isn't getting us anywhere," Hermione said rationally. "You two just go get Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. We'll look away if it makes you feel better." _At least Ginny will, _Hermione thought, crossing her fingers behind her back. _With a body that nice, how could I possibly look away? _

"Of course we'll look away," Ginny said in exasperation. "I already told you I didn't want to see anything you have." _On the other hand, _she thought, looking at Harry from underneath her lashes,_ I could look at your best friend all day long. _"Are you gonna go now?"

"Yeah, yeah. We're going," Ron said, eying the door suspiciously. "You first, Harry."

"No way! You go first!"

"I've already been through once. You should go first. Just to be fair." Harry glared at his friend, knowing that he wouldn't be able to win this one and that he should just go. Still, he was hesitant. How did he always manage to get himself into such embarrassing situations?

"Any day now!" Ginny said.

"I know, I know," Harry responded. He took a deep breath, squared his shoulders, and walked through the door. The intense blue light flashed, he felt a weird tingling, and then a cool breeze drifting across his bare ass that made him belatedly realize that he hadn't been wearing any underwear when he went to sleep last night. He was standing in the hallway totally, completely, and 100 percent naked.


End file.
